Am I being a Dick? - Think Atheist2016-12-10T03:42:49Zhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/forum/topics/am-i-being-a-dick?commentId=1982180%3AComment%3A1100213&xg_source=activity&feed=yes&xn_auth=noIn the western world, the maj…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-04-19:1982180:Comment:11028162012-04-19T01:29:13.811ZVirginia Templetonhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/VirginiaTempleton
<p>In the western world, the majority of people see the belief in Santa as the ultimate sign of innocence. Most stop believing between the ages of 7 and 9 and is, most of the time, the first hard truth we must face. So, I am guessing that most people think if you talk bad about Santa, you are talking bad about the innocence of children. I do not agree with that, because I see so many other signs of childhood innocence that I don't think Santa should be the ultimate representation.</p>
<p>As a…</p>
<p>In the western world, the majority of people see the belief in Santa as the ultimate sign of innocence. Most stop believing between the ages of 7 and 9 and is, most of the time, the first hard truth we must face. So, I am guessing that most people think if you talk bad about Santa, you are talking bad about the innocence of children. I do not agree with that, because I see so many other signs of childhood innocence that I don't think Santa should be the ultimate representation.</p>
<p>As a parent, I think it is a good thing to let a child believe in Santa. When the child learns the truth, they learn more than just that Santa was a lie, they also learn to not trust everything they hear from adults; authority figures lie too. I neither encourage nor discourage the belief in my own child (the rest of her family does that instead), I just ask her what she thinks. She also believes in faeries and that Peter Pan will take her off to Neverland.</p> Agreed.
When I was in college…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-04-16:1982180:Comment:11008292012-04-16T01:43:28.671ZUnseenhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Unseen
<p>Agreed.</p>
<p>When I was in college and before I had a job and kids I believed all kinds of radical crazy shit. It''s characteristic of the left now that, like the right, if the world won't come around, well then we'll just force it to come around, starting with the kids.</p>
<p>Well, I can tell you, kids will know when you're consciously trying to mold them. And it will NOT build trust.</p>
<p>Agreed.</p>
<p>When I was in college and before I had a job and kids I believed all kinds of radical crazy shit. It''s characteristic of the left now that, like the right, if the world won't come around, well then we'll just force it to come around, starting with the kids.</p>
<p>Well, I can tell you, kids will know when you're consciously trying to mold them. And it will NOT build trust.</p> You have it backward, Daniel.…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-04-15:1982180:Comment:11005552012-04-15T23:02:08.780ZGeektheist (Rocky Oliver)http://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/LotusGeek
<p>You have it backward, Daniel. Because we have NOT taught them the whole Jesus myth as "gospel" (pardon the pun), the Santa Claus experience helps reinforce rational thinking and the concept of magical thinking.</p>
<p>Plus, those of us who seem to be fine with the SC thing are all parents; the bulk of the naysayers are not.</p>
<p>Interesting.</p>
<p>You have it backward, Daniel. Because we have NOT taught them the whole Jesus myth as "gospel" (pardon the pun), the Santa Claus experience helps reinforce rational thinking and the concept of magical thinking.</p>
<p>Plus, those of us who seem to be fine with the SC thing are all parents; the bulk of the naysayers are not.</p>
<p>Interesting.</p> Did you entirely miss the wor…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-04-15:1982180:Comment:11000772012-04-15T00:03:23.532ZUnseenhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Unseen
<p>Did you entirely miss the word "allowing" in my post. You seem to want to turn this into some sort of diabolical manipulation on our part intended to control our kids into being skeptics. Stick with the text. Don't read into it or go beyond it with wild speculation.</p>
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<p>Did you entirely miss the word "allowing" in my post. You seem to want to turn this into some sort of diabolical manipulation on our part intended to control our kids into being skeptics. Stick with the text. Don't read into it or go beyond it with wild speculation.</p>
<p></p> So I should tell children abo…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-04-14:1982180:Comment:11001012012-04-14T23:46:29.788ZDanielhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Danielloving
<p>So I should tell children about jesus and participate in the fairy tale as part of a lesson in skepticism. </p>
<p>This whole idea that teaching children about santa claus caused them to be skeptics is rather unfounded. How many Christians believed in santa, and still believe in jebus.</p>
<p>You can not claim that the Santa claus myth is somehow responsible for their skepticism. </p>
<p>So I should tell children about jesus and participate in the fairy tale as part of a lesson in skepticism. </p>
<p>This whole idea that teaching children about santa claus caused them to be skeptics is rather unfounded. How many Christians believed in santa, and still believe in jebus.</p>
<p>You can not claim that the Santa claus myth is somehow responsible for their skepticism. </p> Duh.
tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-04-14:1982180:Comment:11003132012-04-14T23:44:30.884ZUnseenhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Unseen
<p>Duh.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Duh.</p>
<p></p> So I can use that same argume…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-04-14:1982180:Comment:11003122012-04-14T23:38:58.525ZDanielhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Danielloving
<p>So I can use that same argument to tell children that jesus is real?</p>
<p>So I can use that same argument to tell children that jesus is real?</p> I guess I think the Santa thi…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-04-14:1982180:Comment:11002132012-04-14T22:18:47.449ZJoann Bradyhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/JoannBrady
<p>I guess I think the Santa thing is OK because we KNOW we are going to tell then the truth by the time they are 7 or so, if they haven't figured it out for themselves ( or an older sibling hasn't told them). The Jesus thing is supposed to go on forever, and it is really difficult to get out of when everyone around you keeps asserting that it is true. I for one, didn't even question it til really shitty stuff happened in my life.So it is way more of a problem to teach them religion.</p>
<p>I guess I think the Santa thing is OK because we KNOW we are going to tell then the truth by the time they are 7 or so, if they haven't figured it out for themselves ( or an older sibling hasn't told them). The Jesus thing is supposed to go on forever, and it is really difficult to get out of when everyone around you keeps asserting that it is true. I for one, didn't even question it til really shitty stuff happened in my life.So it is way more of a problem to teach them religion.</p> The 11 year old was being hom…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-04-14:1982180:Comment:11000562012-04-14T21:22:11.439ZUnseenhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Unseen
<p>The 11 year old was being home-schooled, then. I can't comprehend how an 11 year old in public school, or even in a private school, could believe that for so long.</p>
<p>The 11 year old was being home-schooled, then. I can't comprehend how an 11 year old in public school, or even in a private school, could believe that for so long.</p> As I pointed out above, my ni…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-04-14:1982180:Comment:10999902012-04-14T20:41:15.213ZDustinhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/DustinS
<p>As I pointed out above, my niece was still 11 and still believed in santa. Her mother thought it was still cute and wouldn't tell her. She did finally figure it out because my other niece who is 12 told her one day. </p>
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<p>As I pointed out above, my niece was still 11 and still believed in santa. Her mother thought it was still cute and wouldn't tell her. She did finally figure it out because my other niece who is 12 told her one day. </p>
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